It has come to light that Arya Stark, portrayed by Maisie Williams, was the unexpected hero who vanquished the Night King in the final season of Game of Thrones. However, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss initially considered other characters, including Jon Snow played by Kit Harington, as potential candidates to deliver the fatal blow. Their decision to have Arya kill the Night King instead of Jon Snow received significant backlash from fans who believed the latter to be the more obvious choice. In James Hibberd's book Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Official Untold Story of the Epic Series, Benioff and Weiss discuss their thought process behind this unexpected twist.
One of the main reasons for their decision was to defy traditional hero tropes. By having Arya, a character not typically associated with saving the day, take down the Night King, the show continued its pattern of subverting expectations. The showrunners also wanted the chosen character to have access to Valyrian steel, a weapon capable of killing White Walkers. Jon Snow, being the hero who always saves the day, did not meet these criteria. Other characters, such as the Hound, were considered but ultimately deemed unfit for the role. The Hound's destiny was more fittingly tied to his highly anticipated confrontation with his brother in the Clegane Bowl.
Although Jon Snow did not directly land the final blow against the Night King, his influence on Arya's journey was crucial. Beyond his battlefield contributions, Jon played a significant role in Arya's growth and transformation into a formidable warrior. This highlights the complexity and interconnectedness of the show's characters and their arcs.
Emilia Clarke, who portrayed Daenerys Targaryen, shared her shock and disbelief regarding her character's fate in the series finale. After receiving the final script, Clarke read it multiple times, unable to process the unforeseen turn of events. She described her initial reaction as flabbergasted and expressed her complete surprise, stating that she had never anticipated such a storyline for her character.
Clarke's emotional response was so intense that she took a long walk to process her feelings before returning home.
At the table read for the final season, Clarke found herself seated next to Kit Harington, who purposely avoided reading the scripts to experience the story alongside his fellow cast members. Clarke couldn't contain her excitement and frustration, longing to discuss her character's journey with Harington. Their dynamic and friendship encapsulated their unique connection, with Clarke expressing her disbelief at his lack of reading the script.
Ultimately, the Game of Thrones series finale faced immense criticism from viewers, with many considering it one of the worst in television history.
The finale failed to live up to the immense hype surrounding the show and departed from its core identity, disappointing fans who had been captivated by its initial uniqueness.
For those interested in revisiting the world of Westeros, Game of Thrones can be streamed on HBO Max.
